Spanish doctor reveals details behind the tragic passing of Ghanaian footballer Raphael Dwamena

Following the sudden passing of Ghanaian international football player Raphael Dwamena, Dr. Antonio Asso, a specialist living in Spain, has finally spoken out.

The Black Stars attacker collapsed on the field during an Albanian Super League game between Dwamena’s team Egnatia and Partizani Tirana on Saturday. Despite receiving emergency medical assistance, he died in the 24th minute.

Dwamena, a former player for Levante and Real Zaragoza, had faced warnings regarding his health, particularly a detected heart problem that led to him being denied the opportunity to play in both Spain and England.

While in Spain, he collapsed after a previous diagnosis of a heart condition, prompting Dr. Antonio Asso to implant a defibrillator in an effort to safeguard the player’s life and advise against further participation in professional sports.

Despite the doctor’s efforts, Dwamena continued his career and collapsed again in 2021 while playing in Austria.

Fortunately, the implanted defibrillator saved his life on that occasion.

However, there are unconfirmed reports suggesting that Dwamena had the defibrillator removed before his recent tragic demise.

Dr. Antonio Asso expressed his efforts to convince Dwamena of the urgency to keep the defibrillator implanted as a lifeline.

“We managed to convince him of the urgent need to implant a defibrillator to at least guarantee his life, at the same time as we advised against playing professional sports,” he explained.

Despite the doctor’s guidance, Dwamena ultimately made a personal decision to remove the defibrillator, leading to his passing.

“He placed all his trust in us, and after implanting the defibrillator, he left Spain. Sometimes he would ask me for specific advice, which I would gladly respond to. I was determined to follow his professional career above all else and I ended up losing hope of influencing him. He died as a result of a respectable personal decision, but if the defibrillator had not been removed, Raphael would still be alive,” Dr. Antonio Asso conveyed in an interview with Spanish newspaper Heraldo.